Parents may cringe at the thought of their children conducting such an experiment, but that’s precisely the type of creative thinking that will be encouraged when Head Rush premieres on the Science Channel on Aug. 23.

Serving as the host of the new will be Los Gatos’s own Kari Byron, who’s been a host of the popular Discovery Channel series MythBusters for the past seven years.

In her new one-hour, commercial-free series, which targets middle school students and curious kids everywhere, Byron will delve into math, science, technology, engineering, natural history and space. The program will feature experiments, short videos, games, Q&As with viewers and visits from other Discovery Channel celebrities.

Head Rush is the Science Channel’s response to President Obama’s strong endorsement of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) initiative, which aims to get children engaged in higher learning.

“We’ll be doing a little bit of everything: millions of small-scale experiments, all done in a really fun, quick way,” said Byron, the daughter of Sue and Dennis Byron of Los Gatos. “The Science Channel wants to help kids discover how fun science can be by getting them hooked on a TV show, which is something they’re interested in anyway.”

While attending Blossom Hill Elementary, Fisher and Los Gatos High School, Byron avoided stereotypical science-geekdom by focusing on sculpting and painting. Her application for an internship with the MythBusters special effects team instead led to an offer to become one of the show’s on-camera hosts.

“That was nothing that I ever expected; it was something I came to later in life,” said Byron, a 1993 Los Gatos High graduate. “But I saw the potential right away, to do something I’d really love.”

Byron now brings a unique perspective to the new series, as an artist, self-professed science “nerd” and working mom. The combination, said Science Channel general manager and executive vice president of programming Debbie Myers, makes Byron an ideal role model for her viewers, especially girls in the ‘tween years.

“Kari’s energy and enthusiasm make her the perfect host of Head Rush,” Myers said. “She’ll be putting her hands into the science, introducing children–and adults–to entertaining discoveries and mind-blowing facts.”

The launch of the new series comes on the heels of Byron’s July 5 appearance on the Science Channel, hosting Large Dangerous Rocket Ships. In that capacity she helped to fling all manner of unlikely vessels into space. “We were covering the largest rocket gathering in the world. People launched coffins, robots and pizzas; it was too cool.”

As Byron does the press junkets in preparation for the launch of her new show, she keeps pinching herself to make sure it’s all really happening. “It’s very strange that I’ve already exceeded all of the dreams and goals that I had as a kid,” she said. “Anything that happens from this point on just feels like icing on the cake.”

Head Rush will air on the Science Channel Monday through Friday from 4 to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 7 to 9 a.m. For full details, check local listings.

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